Kamloops radio stations were atwitter Tuesday with the news that Blazers majority owner Tom Gaglardi had dined out with Craig Bonner, a former Blazers player and assistant coach who now is the assistant GM/assistant coach with the Vancouver Giants. Bonner, a brother to Giants GM Scott Bonner, has long been considered the leading candidate to become the next general manager of the Blazers. . . . Shortly after the Blazers’ new ownership group – Gaglardi and ex-Blazers Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor – took over the franchise, GM/head coach Dean Clark was fired. Greg Hawgood was immediately named interim head coach and eventually Brian Fortin was installed as the interim general manager. . . . On Tuesday, two Kamloops radio stations reported that Gaglardi had received permission from Vancouver majority owner Ron Toigo to talk with Craig Bonner. Radio NL, which carries Blazers games, reported that Gaglardi and Bonner had broke bread together. . . . Well, gee, it turns out that is old news. Like, really old news. According to Toigo, Gaglardi has been given permission to speak with Bonner at the end of this season. As for the dinner, well, it took place about three months ago. . . . No word on whether Gaglardi and Bonner talked turkey or just ate one. . . .
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The Kelowna Rockets likely still will be without LW Jamie Benn on Wednesday when they play host to the Vancouver Giants. Benn, who leads the Rockets with 29 goals, will miss his 15th game with an ankle injury. The Rockets, who are sixth in the Western Conference, are 5-4-0-0 against the Giants, although, thanks to OT and the circus, Vancouver is 4-3-0-2 versus Kelowna. . . . The game in Kelowna marks the first time Rockets captain James McEwan has faced Vancouver RW Garet Hunt since Dec. 29. The two scrapped in that game – it was the fifth bout between the two over the last two seasons – and McEwan came out of it with a badly cut wrist. The resulting surgery resulted in his missing 25 games. . . .
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Here’s why the Spokane Chiefs are a threat to go deep in the playoffs. . . . They are on pace to set a franchise record for fewest goals allowed in a season. In 1999-2000, they surrendered 189 goals; this season, through 64 games, they have given up 146. . . . Where has the offence gone? In 1990-91, the Chiefs went 48-23 with an overtime loss while averaging 6.04 goals per game and allowing 3.82. This season, they are 44-14-1-5 while scoring 3.47 goals a game and giving up 2.28. . . . The Chiefs are at home to the Portland Winter Hawks, who have lost 20 in a row, on Wednesday night. . . .
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Last season, a total of seven WHL teams won at least 40 regular-season games. This season, there already are six teams with 40 or more victories and there are eight others with at least 35. . . .
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It’s worth noting that Andy Kemper is back in the land of the bloggers. Kemper, the radio voice of the Portland Winter Hawks, stepped back a couple of weeks ago but obviously has the bug and couldn’t stay away. . . . It’s good to have him back. . . .
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TUESDAY IN THE WHL:
In Moose Jaw, the Warriors beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 5-3, the sixth time in the season series that the home team has won. . . . Yes, they have split six games down the middle. . . . The Warriors (35-18-6-7) have won three straight and five of six. They moved into sixth in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of Brandon. Moose Jaw is three points behind the East Division-leading Regina Pats. . . . The Wheat Kings (39-23-2-2) have won five of their last seven. They are one point ahead of the Swift Current Broncos with the two teams to meet Wednesday night in Swift Current. . . . Moose Jaw led this one 3-0 in the first half of the first period and Brandon had yet to record a shot on goal. . . . D Keaton Ellerby, with his first of the season, and D Ty Wishart, with his 16th, scored PP goals and LW Terrance Delaronde, an offseason acquisition, added an even-strength score as Moose Jaw led 3-0 by the 10:06-mark of the first period. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-for-6 on the PP and scored a shorthanded goal; Brandon was 1-for-10 with the man advantage. . . . Brandon G Andrew Hayes stopped 27 shots, while Moose Jaw’s Joey Perricone turned aside 18. . . .
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In Medicine Hat, the Tigers got goals from four players, including two 11 seconds apart in the first period, as they dumped the Edmonton Oil Kings, 4-1. . . . The Tigers (39-21-5-2) closed to within one of recording 40 victories for a fifth straight season. They are 7-0 against the Oil Kings with the teams rounding out the season series Wednesday in Edmonton. . . . The Oil Kings (20-34-4-7) have lost three straight and 10 of 12. . . . Medicine Hat G Ryan Holfeld, whose night’s work included stopping Edmonton freshman Logan Proulx on a second-period penalty shot, stopped 18 shots. He is 6-0 against the Oil Kings. . . . D Mark Pysyk, the third overall pick in the 2007 bantam draft, was in Edmonton’s lineup. . . . Medicine Hat F Tyler Ennis got his 40th goal of the season into an empty net. . . .
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In Prince Albert, C Ryan White and F T.J. Galiardi had two goals each as the Calgary Hitmen dumped the Raiders, 6-2. . . . Calgary (45-18-1-4) had lost two in a row and three of four going into this one. . . . The Hitmen lead the Eastern Conference and are within three points of the Tri-City Americans, who are first overall. . . . The Raiders (24-38-3-2) won two of five meetings with Calgary this season. . . . The Hitmen had a 42-24 edge in shots. . . . Calgary was 3-for-11 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-for-4. . . . White has 28 goals; Galiardi has 18. . . .
In Prince George, F Bud Holloway scored twice to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-1 victory over the Cougars. . . . The teams meet again Wednesday in Prince George. . . . Seattle (37-21-5-2) has 18 wins in its last 23 games and is fourth in the Western Conference. . . . The Cougars (18-44-1-3) won’t be in the playoffs. . . . The game was a homecoming of sorts for Seattle assistant Turner Stevenson, who played his minor hockey in Prince George. . . . Holloway has 35 goals for the first time in his WHL career. . . . There was an interesting occurrence in the third period. Here’s Jim Swanson, the Prince George Citizen’s sports editor: “(Prince George goaltender Real) Cyr stopped the (Holloway) shot, but slid into the net, across the line, and after a lengthy discussion involving the four on-ice officials and the goal judge, it was correctly ruled a goal. Interesting that the third period was played without a goal judge at that end -- the story is the original goal judge walked away because he disagreed with the referees' decision. A child sat in his chair for part of the period, but no one sat in the seat for the final 15 minutes.” . . . Seattle G Jacob DeSerres made 26 saves before leaving late in the third period. Riku Helenius, who has been a bit banged up, played the last few minutes and is expected to start Wednesday. . . .
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In Kennewick, Wash., the Everett Silvertips won their fourth straight game, scoring the game’s last three goals and beating the Tri-City Americans, 5-2. . . . The victory lifted Everett (38-25-0-3) past the idle Kelowna Rockets and into fifth place in the Western Conference, two points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Americans (47-15-2-2), who had won three straight, still lead the WHL’s overall standings. . . . Everett C Zack Dailey broke a 2-2 tie with 3:38 left in the third period. . . . Everett scored four times in the third period with RW Dan Gendur getting two of those, the first one a shorthanded tally that broke a 1-1 tie and the second into an empty net. He has 29 goals this season. . . . Everett took six of nine games from the Americans this season. . . . Everett G Leland Irving stopped 24 shots in winning his 27th game. . . . Tri-City G Chet Pickard also turned aside 24 shots as his record slipped to 41-11-4-0. . . . Tri-City LW Colton Yellow Horn had his 14-game point streak stopped.
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